


With Her

by onlyhereforellick



Series: Fictober ‘19 [30]
Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, fictober 19
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 05:08:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21247967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyhereforellick/pseuds/onlyhereforellick
Summary: He wanted forever with her. He wanted to do it right this time.





	With Her

**Author's Note:**

> Fictober 19; prompt 30: “I’m with you, you know that.”
> 
> Part 2 to yesterday’s!

“Hi, Nick.” She said casually, as if his entire world hadn’t stopped, tilted, and reversed. 

Ellie was pregnant.

Ellie was  _ very _ pregnant.

_ Whose the hell was it? _

Nick’s eyes threatened to bug out of his face as he continued to quell the urge to sucker punch this Lasalle guy in the jaw.  _ She dumped him, for- for- Mr. Southern Gentleman? _ Nick scoffed aloud,  _ sounded about right .  _

Nick knew he had to say something, but words escaped him. And before he got the chance, a woman full of spunk and attitude strolled in from behind him shouting her greetings. One in particular she directed Ellie’s way as she came right up to her and placed a quick hand to her belly, “How’s my little godson Cody doing today, ready to come out or what?” 

Instantly Nick was transported back to a few Christmas’ ago.  _ Cody _ . She’d really named her baby after the one they took care of together over the holidays. The baby that showed her she would be a good mom, the baby that showed him he wanted a family, the baby that showed them they could be great parents together. That is...if she hadn’t walked out on him nine months ago. 

An errant though crossed Nick’s mind,  _ did she know?  _ If Ellie had told him she was pregnant when she left, would that have changed anything? 

Nick wished he could answer that with a yes, he really truly did. But honestly...he didn’t know. When Ellie first left he had been beside himself. Flipping from angry to miserable in seconds flat. One day he would be ready to tear down a wall in the apartment they shared, and the next he was practically crying over a painting of hers she had left. It was at about that time, Nick realized she might have been right. They had not been healthy. He loved her and he knew she loved him, but something was off. Whether it was timing, or the whole damn thing, something wasn’t right. They’d been practically obsessed with each other. They’d tuned the rest of the world out, solely focused on the other. Dependent on the love and acceptance of the other. But that was no way to live, to love. Ellie had been right.

Admitting that, he thought it would be freeing, he’d release the pressure he felt in his chest. The walls would stop caving in, the pain would cease. 

It didn’t.

Instead the grief of love lost set it. The team tried to help, they tried really they did. Everything was going to get “better” they’d say. Nick knew it wouldn’t, but the voices in his head didn’t listen.

_ Have a drink, you’ll feel better. _

_ Take her home, you’ll feel better.  _

And Nick spiraled. Anxiety set in, it gripped every fiber of his being. He’d never be enough, he wasn’t capable of love, he lost the one good thing that ever happened to him. 

On the outside, he gave off the appearance of crashing and burning—alcohol flowed freely, the girls a seemingly revolving door. The team bought it. Meanwhile, he was laying on the bathroom floor each night feeling nothing. The overwhelming sensation of being lost and alone forever threatened to overtake him. 

_ Did she think of him? _

_ Did she love him? _

_ Did she move on? _

_ Did she hurt as much as he did? _

On month eight of Ellie being gone, Nick felt like giving up. It wasn’t in his blood, but man did he feel the pull of it. That was the same night he got a frantic call from Kasie. Panicked Nick could only make out something about Ellie possibly being pregnant. His blood roared in his ears as he hung up furiously and hurled his phone against the wall.

———

Kasie gave him semi-regular updates of her phone calls with Ellie even though he asked her not to every time. She’d speculate as to whether or not she was truly pregnant or if it had all been a figment of her imagination. Nick tried his best to drown out all thoughts of Ellie pregnant with another man’s child. 

———

And it had worked, until one day, it didn’t. Kasie went on a particularly thorough rant and presentation of  _ why _ Ellie had to be pregnant. Standing in the middle of the lab hoping for just an update on the DNA results of a interstate killer, Nick hadn’t expected to be assaulted with images and stories of Ellie. 

He snapped. 

Storming out of the lab, he ordered a one way ticket to New Orleans and booked it out of the Navy Yard after shouting some excuse to Gibbs. He couldn’t even remember the lie he used this time. It didn’t matter, they all knew anyways. 

———

Which is how he found himself staring down Ellie and Lasalle, the father of her child, maker of her tea, gentleman to her lady—all of which he was not. And that- that made his skin crawl and blood boil. 

Forcibly pulling his eyes off of Ellie and her pregnant belly he stared down Lasalle. His fists involuntarily clenched at his sides, preparing for his strike. 

Thankfully, Ellie spoke again before Nick had the chance to let his hand fly. “Nick...this is Lasalle. Lasalle, this is Nick Torres, my old partner.”

Not best friend, not lover, no, partner. Yet...she clearly hadn’t told them about him.  _Why_?

He didn’t get the chance to ask before Ellie suddenly doubled over, clutching her abdomen, the pain evident across her face. 

Their past was erased, Nick rushed to her side placing a hand on her shoulder and the other on her hand atop her belly. “Ellie,” was all he could say.

Despite her bent in half, her eyes snapped up to him at hearing Nick say her name. They softened just slightly, the pain dissipating for a split second before it came roaring back. She sucked in air through her teeth as her head fell back down to face the floor.

“Ellie, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Nick asked more frantically. Her pain tolerance had always been high, came with the territory of three older brothers. She had to be in excruciating pain for this reaction. 

In between pants, Ellie pushed out, “Braxton- Hicks- I’m- fine-“

Nick wanted to smack his pretty lady upside the head. This was  not Braxton-Hicks. Hell, Ellie was probably a few centimeters dilated at this rate. He chose to ignore the fact he just thought of Ellie as his and instead focus on getting her to a damn hospital.

“Ellie, you are in labor. Trust me, when Lucia had Amanda, Braxton-Hicks were not like this, at all. We need to get you to a hospital ASAP.” He looked toward Lasalle who’d already grabbed his jacket and keys. Motioning to the guy—who may honestly still be the father, Nick was trying hard not to think about that—he placed her arm around his shoulders and with an effortless lift, Nick was carrying Ellie out front to the car. 

———

Checked in, epidural flowing, Ellie was now resting a bit more comfortably. When the doctor had gotten her settled, Nick turned to go. As badly as he wanted to stay by her side, this baby, Cody, may not be his to do so. A weak hand reached out and gripped his wrist for dear life. Slowly angling back towards Ellie’s bed, he raised an eyebrow.

She croaked out, barely above a whisper, “Please stay.”

He could hear everything else she couldn’t say. The apology, the regret, the guilt, the love. She wasn’t just talking about delivery. The emotion in his throat made it impossible to speak. Months ago he despised this moment, then he prayed for this moment, then he’d given up. Now- now it was here. Actually happening. This decision might dictate the rest of their lives. If he stayed, it meant for longer than after the baby was born. If he left, it meant forever.

Nick took one look at Ellie—a slight sheen of sweat to her forehead, hair strewn across the pillow, mascara smudged—she was beautiful. He wanted forever with her. He wanted to do it  _ right _ this time.

Nick intertwined their fingers and bent down to be closer. Speaking tenderly he made his decision, “I’m with you, you know that. I’ll always be with you, I’ll always stay.” A gentle squeeze of her hand to reassure her that he meant long past this baby’s birth and a small smile graced her lips. 


End file.
